Experts say Moldova witnesses pay discrimination between men and women

Despite a non-discriminatory legislative framework, Moldova witnesses the existence of indirect pay discrimination between men and women, Ala Lipciu, National Correspondent of the International Labour Organisation in Moldova, said on Tuesday, May 22, during the presentation of the report “Equality at work: Tackling the challenges”. According to her, this is an expression of the fact that the women are preponderantly hired in sectors where the salaries are lower such as the social, education and health protection systems. Many women work in the informal sector and in domestic households, being deprived of the elementary social protection. The cultural and educational elements also have their say. The inherited stereotypes regarding the inferiority of the woman, the inconveniences related to the employment of a woman that is a future mother and an employee with a lower productivity than a man are still felt in Moldova. The report recommends a series of steps to combat discrimination. These include promoting gender equality through more integrated and better-coordinated global action; mainstreaming non-discrimination and equality into ILO Decent Work Country Programmes taking into account specific needs of different groups; enacting better laws and promoting better enforcement; and helping workers and employers make equality a reality at the workplace through mechanisms such as collective bargaining agreements and codes of conduct. The report forms part of a series of studies published yearly and was drawn up to meet the stipulations of the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work adopted by the International Labour Conference in 1998.